Moscow, March 26: Russia`s leading computer security
labs have warned of a new software virus which infects
Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) to steal money from bank
accounts of their users.

Two leading anti-virus software producers `Doctor Web`
and `Kaspersky Lab` claimed to have discovered a new virus, in
the networks of several bank ATMs, which is able to collect
information from bank cards.

"This is a malicious programme intended to infect and
survive in ATMs. It is possible that new software will appear,
aimed at illegitimately using banking information and removing
funds," an official of the Kaspersky Lab was quoted as saying
by RIA Novosti news agency.

He said the virus is a Trojan which is able to infect the
popular American Diebold brand of ATMs, used in Russia and
Ukraine. Judging by the programming code used, there is a high
probability that the programmer comes from one of the former
Soviet republics, he added.

The computer security experts say the number of infected
ATMs is minimal but individual bank cardholders will not be
able to detect whether an ATM is infected or not.

However, banks can run a security software to find out if
their machines are at risk.